Conventional ceiling fans that are shipped in cartons have separate packing materials such as foam inserts for the many components that must be assembled by the installer to hang the ceiling fan. For example, ceiling fan blades are generally shipped in detached positions and are fastened onto the motors and ceiling fan arms by screw type fasteners during the assembly process, a practice having many inherent problems.
A single conventional ceiling fan blade has often required some five screw type fasteners to attach the blade to the motor/arm of the ceiling fan. Thus, a five blade ceiling fan can have some twenty five screw type fasteners just for attaching the fan blades to the motor and arm assembly. Clearly, problems occur when any of this small screw type fasteners become lost and/or missing during the assembly process.
In addition to having multiple loose parts, a typical installer must follow a tedious process in order to assemble and hang the ceiling fan. In FIG. 1, a conventional ceiling fan motor housing 10 has a rotor component 20 that rotates about a central axis within a motor housing 10, which in turn is connected to a hanger assembly 5 that is attached beneath a ceiling 2. A plurality of fan blades 30 can be connected to the rotor 20 by mounting arms 40. Each mounting arm 40 has one end 42 connected to an end 32 of each fan blade 30, and an opposite second end 44 having at least two through-holes 45 therethrough, so that conventional screw type fasteners 50 can pass through the through-holes 45 to mateably thread into threaded holes 25 in the bottom of rotor 20.
It is usual in many ceiling fan installation directions to have the installer first connect and hang the motor housing 10, rotor 20 and hanger assembly 5 to a ceiling by having the installer standing on a raised platform such as a ladder or stool. Next, the installation directions have the installer attach the blades 30 to their respective mounting arms/motor connectors 40. Finally, a last step is to connect the blade 30 and respective mounting arm 40 to the rotor 20 on the motor housing 10.
This final assembly step takes great dexterity, patience, balance and time for the installer. In order for a single person 60 to be able to complete this final step, the installer 60 needs to hold in one hand 62 the fan blade 30 and already attached mounting arm 40, and to position a screw driver 70 to the heads of the screws 50 with the other hand 64. The installer must be able to balance the mounting screws 50 on the tip of the screw driver 70, insert the screws upwardly through the holes 44 in the mounting arm, making sure not to accidentally drop the screws 50 and then screw the screws 50 into the mating holes 25 on the rotor 20 all while still holding the blade 30 and arm 40. This assembly requires the installer to have to constantly hold both hands 62 and 64 raised high above their head, while again standing on the ladder or stool.
This tedious traditional process of assembly and installation causes many potential problems. First, the screw type fasteners can and do accidentally fall and become lost causing more time and expense to finish the installation. The installer 60 often has to constantly reposition the blade 30 and arm 40 in order to be able to properly line up the through-holes 45 in the mounting arms 40 with their respective mating holes 25 in the bottom of rotor 20. Also, the blade 30 and mounting arm 40 have been known to fall on and cause injury to the installer 60 during assembly. Furthermore, the installer can lose their balance and injure themselves by falling off the ladder or stool.
The use of screws has other inherent problems as to their appearance. The screw type fasteners are often visible from those looking up at the running ceiling fans. Visible screws are unsightly and further detract from the appearance of the ceiling fan itself.
Still additional problems have been known to occur after installation of the screw type fasteners. For example, uneven tightening of each of the plural screw type fasteners that connect the blades to the mounting arms has resulted in wobble effects when the ceiling fan is running. The wobble effects can include both lateral and/or vertical movement between the blades and the blade arms, or between the blades and the motors, or between the blade arms and the motors.
Another problem occurs as a result of the need to clean blades over time in order to remove dirt and dust buildup. Current techniques have relied on manually holding brushes to the ceiling fan attached blades themselves which inherently tires the muscles in the cleaner""s back, neck, shoulders, arms and hands. Furthermore, this messy cleaning operation with brushes while the blades are attached to the ceiling fan mounted motor often results in dirt and debris falling on both the cleaner and furniture and flooring below the ceiling fan.
Another problem occurs when the ceiling fan is taken down to be reboxed. In order to be repackaged, each and every component must be disassembled, a time consuming endeavor, which also can result in many loose parts becoming misplaced and lost over time.
A still another problem with blades having removable fasteners includes inherent problems with vibrations and noise that result from the spinning blades. Allowing some different parts to directly contact one another such as metal blade arms contacting metal blades allows for vibrations and noise to result.
Various solutions to changing some of the traditional attachment methods referred above have been proposed. See for example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,944,486 to Hodgkins, Jr. The Hodgkins ""486 patent describes an xe2x80x9cInterchangeable Fan Blade Systemxe2x80x9d, title. However, the embodiments generally require some screw type fasteners be used that still would have many of the problems described above. Furthermore, the slots shown in FIGS. 2, 3 and 9, and adapter plates shown in FIGS. 5A-5G would have problems in fixably securing the blades to the adapters so that the blades would not wobble nor rattle when being run during a ceiling fan use. For example, the hook arm in FIG. 5D would not by itself adequately secure the fan blades in position by solely relying on a xe2x80x9ccentrifugal force.xe2x80x9d Besides the wobble and rattle problems, each time the ceiling fan stops the hooked on blades can potentially fall off and become damaged as well as injure those beneath the ceiling fan. Similarly the xe2x80x9cpinxe2x80x9d supported blades of FIG. 5F would also wobble and rattle for not being properly secured to the mounting arms. In addition, these xe2x80x9cpinsxe2x80x9d can inherently become loose and cause the blades to possibly fall off, become damaged and possibly injure those beneath the ceiling fan.
Furthermore, the Hodgkins ""486 reference fails to take into account the inherent vibration and noise problems that can result when using fasteners such as screws, and the like. Additionally, other embodiments in this reference allow some parts to directly contact one another, such as metal arms directly contacting metal blades, and the like, which would result in undesirable vibration and noise. Thus, the need exists for solutions to the above problems.
A first objective of the subject invention is to provide ceiling fan blades that can be easily and quickly attached onto a ceiling fan mounted motor without the need of using removable fasteners such as screws and the like.
The second objective of the subject invention is to provide mountable ceiling fan blades that become instantly aligned when being mounted.
The third objective of the subject invention is to provide ceiling fan blades that do not rattle nor wobble when being run on a ceiling fan.
The fourth objective of the subject invention is to provide ceiling fan blades that can be reversibly hung without using removable fasteners such as screws and the like.
The fifth objective of the subject invention is to provide ceiling fan blades that slide into a space formed between a raised end of a blade arm and the rest of the blade, lock onto an alignment post and become locked when the blade is folded outward.
The sixth objective of the subject invention is to provide ceiling fan blades that easily lock onto a ceiling fan without the use of fasteners having enhanced vibration reduction and minimize noise transmission between the blades and the ceiling fan.
The seventh objective of the subject invention is to provide ceiling fan blades that easily lock onto a ceiling fan blade arm without the use of fasteners such as screws and the like.
The eighth objective of the subject invention is to provide ceiling fan blades having a built on medallion cover that does not need to be separated fastened thereon.
The ninth objective of the subject invention is to provide ceiling fan blades having enhanced vibration reduction and minimized noise transmission between the ceiling fan blades and the ceiling fan motor.
The tenth objective of the subject invention is to provide ceiling fan blades having enhanced vibration reduction and minimized noise transmission between the ceiling fan blades and the blade arms.
The eleventh objective of the subject invention is to provide attachments for ceiling fan blades that eliminates lateral and vertical movement between the blades and the blade arms.
The twelfth objective of the subject invention is to provide attachments for ceiling fan blades that eliminates lateral and vertical movement between the blades and the fan motors.
The thirteenth objective of the subject invention is to provide attachments for ceiling fan blades that eliminates lateral and vertical movement between the blade arms and the motors.
The fourteenth objective of the subject invention is to provide for blades that can be pre-attached to ceiling fan motors and packed in a box so that an installer only has to pull the motor and blade assembly out of a box and hang it from a ceiling.
The fifteenth objective of the subject invention is to provide for blades that can be hooked and clipped onto a ceiling fan.
The sixteenth objective of the subject invention is to provide for blades that can be held onto a ceiling fan by centrifugal force.
The seventeenth objective of the subject invention is to provide for blades that can be held onto a ceiling fan and held in place by gravity.
The subject invention is a Continuation-In-Part of Ser. No. 09/858,220 filed on May 15, 2001 to the same inventors and assignees as the subject invention, and which relates to U.S. Pat. No. 6,213,716 to Bucher et al., the same inventors and assignees, both of which are incorporated by reference.
The subject invention includes two embodiments of hook and fold blades and multiple embodiments describing blades that slide over bent arm ends, hook onto at least one alignment post and folds out to a locked position during assembly, and another embodiment of angling a blade into a slot and hooking the blade and folding the blade down into a locked position.
Both of the first embodiments include a ceiling fan motor having a rotating member, a first mount attached to the rotating member, a first fan blade having a first interior end portion and a first exterior end portion, a first hook portion which hooks the first mount to the first interior end portion, and a lock portion for restricting lateral movement between the first mount and the first interior end portion, wherein centrifugal force further locks the first fan blade to the first mount. The first mount can be on the first fan blade arm, or on a portion of a rotor on the motor. The locking portion can include edges having a cavity therebetween, wherein a portion of the first hook portion becomes positioned and locked within the cavity. One embodiment has the first hook portion attached to and extends outward away from the first interior portion of the first blade. Another embodiment has the first hook portion attached to and extends outward away from the first mount attached to the rotating member. The first hook portion can be attached to the first interior portion of the first blade and extends to the first exterior portion of the first blade. The first hook portion can be attached to the first mount toward the rotating member. The blades can be reversible in at least one of the embodiments.
For both of the first and second embodiments there is a novel method of attaching the ceiling fan blades without using any removable fasteners, that includes the steps of hooking one end of a fan blade to a mount attached to a ceiling fan motor, and locking the fan blade to the ceiling fan motor with at least one technique to eliminate any lateral movement between the fan blade and the mount. The techniques can include either or both inserting a narrow body portion to be tightly fit or mateably fit between two raised edges/walls/arms, and/or positioning a raised ridge type portion into a mateably receiving indentation.
The third embodiment allows for an end of the ceiling fan blade arm to bend on a hinge to allow a space for allowing an end of a ceiling fan blade to be inserted into the space. At least one through hole on the blade end hooks over and slides onto a raised post from the bent arm end. Next, the blade is folded down to a locked position. Vibration isolators such as but not limited to washers, grommets, cushions, pads, and the like, combinations thereof, and the like, can be inserted over the raised post(s), and/or be located adjacent between the blade end and the bent arm portions abutting against the blade end and/or in any area where components abut against one another. The third embodiment allows for enhanced operation without lateral and vertical movement between the blades and the arms/motors. The invention further allows for operation without vibration and noise that often occurs with prior art blade attachment techniques. This embodiment allows for tight fits between the blades and ceiling fan arms, or between the blades and the ceiling fan motors.
A fourth embodiment can be used with the third embodiment and allows for a spring type clip to further lock the blade to the ceiling fan motor. The clip can be pre-attached for example, to the medallion portion and when the blade and medallion are folded downward can expand about and contact against or about portions of the arm, the hinge portion on the arm, and the like. The clip can also restrict lateral and or vertical movement between the blade and the ceiling fan motor. The clip can be used with one or more posts, and with or without any vibration and noise type resilient members.
A fifth embodiment allows for blades to be slided into a slot opening in the side band of a ceiling fan motor, pivoted about the slot opening so that the blade hooks onto a motor mount by post(s) passing through a through-hole, and/or uses an expandable and contractible type clip such as but not limited to a spring type clip that snapably locks the blade in a horizontal position. The post(s) and clip can be located on a motor mount, the blade or both the blade and the mount. The invention can be practiced using post(s) without the clip. Additionally, the invention can be practiced using the clip without the post(s). Since the overall weight of the blade is to the side of the pivot point opposite where the blade attaches to the motor, then gravity will continuously pull the blade downward so that the blade end constantly abuts against the motor mount. Thus, this embodiment allows for the gravity of the blade to further lock and hold the blade to the ceiling fan. Similar to all of the preceding embodiments, centrifugal force of the resultant spinning blades allows the blades to be held in place to the ceiling fan.
Further objects and advantages of this invention will be apparent from the following detailed description of a presently preferred embodiment which is illustrated schematically in the accompanying drawings.